While the risks of football are becoming more widely acknowledged, legendary New York Giants linebacker Harry Carson decided long ago not to allow his grandson to play the game.
Carson addressed his decision as a guest on “CNN This Morning” this week, citing the potential long-term repercussions of playing the sport on the body and brain, some of which have only recently come to light.
“I became like the tyrant of my family because I knew certain things that were not being said,” Carson said. “I told my daughter, ‘My grandson will not play football.’ He was two years old.”
Carson’s remarks come in the aftermath of the tragic Damar Hamlin case, which is certain to give parents of youngsters who play football throughout the country pause.
While Carson was adamant about his grandson’s football involvement, he had a similar reaction when asked what he would advise the Bills’ 24-year-old safety and his family about returning to the field.
“If he asked, ‘No, give me the truth, should he play?’ I would say no. He should not go back,” Carson said. “Because you’ve already sustained an injury, at some point down the line, you might sustain another injury, and you might become an altogether different person than you are now.”
Doctors at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center offered a positive report on Hamlin’s condition on Thursday. Dr. Timothy Pitts reports that Hamlin is awake and responding to doctor directions.
When asked if Hamlin might play football again, Pitts said it was too early to guess, adding that the priority was to get him breathing on his own, stronger, and back home.